1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a control apparatus for a portable computer. More particularly, the invention relates to a control apparatus having a control unit that can be installed in the portable computer. A user can use the control unit to switch on/off the portable computer or remotely operate an up/down-paging or laser pointing.
2. Description of the Related Art
To effectively perform a conference or a briefing, a user usually needs a portable computer associated with a display apparatus such as a projector or a LCD. The portable computer is provided with a keyboard to allow the user to page up or page down the displayed frame.
In most situations, the computer connected to the display apparatus via cables is not in proximity of the user. Therefore, it is not convenient for the user to page up/down the displayed frame via the keyboard of the computer.
A wireless controller has been provided to remotely control the operation of the computer. However, it needs a high production cost and is not compatible with all types of portable computer. The control circuits in the wireless controller are traditionally designed in the type of USB. Therefore, only portable computers provided with USB receiving circuits are capable of receiving signals from the wireless controller. Further, the wireless controller is externally provided and can not be disposed within the portable computer.
Moreover, any person can usually switch on the portable computer, which does not allow a confidentiality of the data stored in the computer.
It is therefore one object of the invention to provide a control apparatus that can be used to switch on/off a portable computer, remotely control various operations of the computer such as up/down-paging, or used as a laser pointer.
It is another object of the invention to provide a control apparatus having a control unit that is detachably mounted to the portable computer. The control unit is used to achieve on/off-switches of the portable computer and further controls the power source of the portable computer. A non-authorized operator is therefore not able to use the computer.
To accomplish the above and other objectives, a control apparatus used to control a portable computer is provided. The control apparatus comprises a control unit having a connector and a laser-pointer transmission circuit. The portable computer has a main body and a display device. A receiving slot is arranged through a side of the main body of the portable computer. A connection socket is arranged in the receiving slot. A receiving module is connected inside the main body of the portable computer. One output terminal of the receiving module is connected to a controller. The controller is connected to a circuit control unit. The controller decodes a signal sent by the receiving module and outputs the decoded data to the circuit control unit to perform desired operations. A power key and two hot keys are provided on a top surface of the main body corresponding to the respective locations of a power switch button and operating buttons of the control unit inserted in the slot. A control circuit is placed in the control unit and respectively connects the connector, the power switch button, the operating buttons, the laser-pointer transmission circuit and a transmission module. According to the states of the power switch button and the operating buttons, the control circuit performs certain functions, and then the transmission module outputs a corresponding signal or drives the laser-pointer transmission circuit to emit a light beam.
To provide a further understanding of the invention, the following detailed description illustrates embodiments and examples of the invention, this detailed description being provided only for illustration of the invention.